


A Second Chance

by Ssree



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Master of Death Harry Potter, No Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-25
Updated: 2017-11-25
Packaged: 2019-02-06 21:22:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12826368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ssree/pseuds/Ssree
Summary: The final battle was not going well. One of the only summons they still had uses of was Hades, and Cloud thought, why not.It... did not quite work as planned.





	A Second Chance

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FeelingsDusk](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FeelingsDusk/gifts).



> A little something for a friend.

The final battle was not going well. 

All of them were injured to some extent, and most of them were out of energy. Cloud could see Cait Sith lying in the ground next to it's gigantic moogle mount, both broken and sparking weakly. Tifa was unconcious with Barrett swaying on his feet, shielding her with his own body. Nanaki was busy healing Cid who had collapsed. Even Yuffie's endless energy seemed to be flagging as her dodges and taunts got sloppier and sloppier. The only one who didn't seem to have problems was Vincent, but Cloud rarely saw the gunner reflect his inner self to the outside world.

A woosh of air and rustle of feathers told him that they had run out of time and the break was now over. Cloud cursed silently, heaved himself to stand upright and readied his blade for the final showdown with grim determination.

One of the only summons they still had uses of was Hades, and Cloud thought, why not. Maybe the dark Deity would accept a bargain and cast Slow Time so they'd have few more minutes to gather their bearings, maybe even hatch a desperate (escape) plan.

So, with that thought, Cloud signed for Vincent to activate the Master Summon, and call for the entity.

It... did not quite work as planned.

Time slowed to a standstill. A temple rose from the ground, magnificent in it's simplicity and gloom. But the being manifesting in the middle of the stone circle was not the towering entity cackling behind his cauldron. The person was short, dressed in a robe (were those scales?) and a leather armor (those definitely were scales, dark green with an iridescent shimmer of the Lifestream in them). The gauntleted hands were at rest on his sides and booted feet were steady on the stone circle.

"What...?" Cloud was confused. Vincent seemed to be no better. Both stared at the short, messy-haired male, dumbfounded.

"Oh, I see. Who were you trying to call? I'm afraid I missed the memo." The voice which the being spoke with didn't have a hollow echo in it. In fact, it was quite pleasant, if normal, smooth baritone.

"Hades, Lord of the Underworld." Surprisingly it was Vincent who answered.

Bright green eyes stared at them in contemplation. "Oh, him. He has some marital problems right now." The male shifts a bit, relaxing to a more natural stance. "So, you get me instead. You may call me Harry. Now, why did you call?"

Cloud exchanged a glance with Vincent. This... had never happened before. 

"We would like to strike a bargain for a slice of time, Lord Harry."

Cloud saw the entity flinching almost imperceptably. "None of that Lord business, if you would. I assume this has to do with the great Feathered Menace over there?" Almost neglicent gesture towards Sephiroth's winged form.

Cloud nodded hesitantly. 

Green eyes stared at the frozen scene outside the shimmering wall of the summoning circle. "Fine. I'll do it. I'll even do it for free. Maybe this'll silence the Flower Girl. She can be quite annoying in her insistence, you know." With a decisive nod, 

Harry withdrew a long, thin... stick? from somewhere in his robes. A few swishes, a flick, and an odd twirl, and the stick vanished from sight again. 

"Alright, that should do it. Now, if you would release me, I'd be grateful. You're not the only people summoning an incarnation of Death that I need to substitute for."

With another gesture from Cloud, Vincent hesitantly released the summoning spell. They watched as the veil crumbled and the temple sunk into the ground, leaving no mark of it ever being in existance.

A screech from Safer-Sephiroth jerked their attention back to the field. 

Whatever the summon was supposed to do, Cloud was pretty sure it wasn't this.

The feathered form of the ex-General had fallen gracelessly to the ground and was jerking and twisting in agony. His wings were flailing all over the place, filling the air with large white feathers. The black feathers had molted to the ground, and the General's form was... shrinking? What?

It took only few heartbeats for the mass of white to stop writhing and lay still on the ground. Cloud approached cautiously and poked it with the tip of his blade. Nothing. A more forceful probe and no reaction. Cloud nodded and straightened, turning to tend to his comrades.

A sniffle froze him on his tracks. Another sniffle. And a whimper.

Slowly Cloud turned around and stared at the pile of feathers in dumbfounded horror. It quivered with another whimper. And then, a wail pierced the air and Cloud had to clap hands on his sensitive ears to muffle the sound.

Slowly those of their ragtag party capable of moving shuffled close. Nanaki stared at the mass intrigued, tail flicking to-and-fro while Yuffie's expression of fascinated horror was telling. "Cloud, what did you do?!"

Nanaki got on his stomach and slowly, hesitantly, crawled closer to the wailing pile of feathers. When he reached the messy mass, he cautiously shuffled feathers out of the way, searching. Until he came muzzle to face with a screaming baby, days old at best, face red and ruddy from crying his distress for the world to hear. Nanaki rose and sat with a soft thump, and slowly the babe quieted to sniffles.

"Yes, I imagine the world does not agree with you. Now, what to do with you, not-Child of Calamity?"

<><><> <><><> <><><>

In the end, it was decided that Sephiroth, purified of Jenova's toxic influence, would stay with Nanaki and Bugenhagen in Cosmo Canyon, to learn about the things he had been denied in his first childhood. And little Sephiroth flourished in the community. He adored his furry older brother and eagerly devoured any bit of knowledge Nanaki and Bugenhagen shared with him.


End file.
